The Yankees’ problems right now go way beyond a quiet offseason or Hal Steinbrenner’s hesitation to spend big. There may be an even bigger issue brewing behind the scenes.

So if fans are already frustrated about the team missing out on marquee free agents, they might want to pay closer attention to what’s happening internationally. Reportedly, over the past few months, the Yankees have seen several international prospects pass on signing with them. And the situation seems to be getting worse. In one day alone, they lost three potential signings.

And it doesn’t stop there, because the fallout has now started creeping into the front office side of things, too. What should’ve been a routine international signing process has suddenly turned into a situation the Yankees can’t ignore.

“The New York Yankees and Mairon De La Rosa have parted ways: the $4.3M agreement between the Yankees and the top prospect in the 2027 international class has fallen through,” MLB insider Hector Gómez shared via X. That’s a massive deal to lose, and it immediately raises questions about what went wrong behind the scenes.

According to Gómez, the issue stems from internal issues involving Yankees personnel in the Dominican Republic. And when the problem lies within your own operation, it’s not just bad luck; it’s something that can damage trust quickly. “They have faced problems with their staff at the academy in DR.”

Even more frustrating, the timing couldn’t be worse. The Yankees are already in a spot where shortstop depth matters, especially with Anthony Volpe still working toward consistent everyday stability at the big-league level.

But here’s where it really gets concerning. De La Rosa wasn’t the only one to walk away, and the exits started piling up almost immediately.

In less than 24 hours, the Yankees also lost Leonardo Feliz, after the “$1.3 million” deal that had reportedly been agreed upon with his camp collapsed as well. That’s two international shortstop prospects gone in almost no time.

And then came the third hit. Venezuelan shortstop Josneybert Vera, part of the 2027 class and viewed as one of the better pure contact hitters in his age group, also severed ties with the organization.

So now the question shifts from “why did one deal fail” to “why are multiple deals falling apart at once.” Because when three prospects back out in the same window, it starts looking like a pattern, not a coincidence.

Well, one factor could be money. For the 2026 international signing period, the Yankees have one of the smallest bonus pools in baseball at $5.44 million. Still, that was cut by another $1 million as a penalty for signing Max Fried last offseason. But the bigger question remains: is this just about dollars? Or are these prospects seeing better opportunities and clearer paths elsewhere?

Either way, the issue has clearly grown beyond the players. The Yankees, although they tried to contain the situation by firing their director of international scouting, Donny Rowlan, did it succeed? We are skeptical.

The Yankees’ countermeasure continues

Even as the Yankees are dealing with a wave of losses on the international signing front, they haven’t completely slammed the brakes. They’re still out there hunting for new talent, and even a new director.

For instance, New York has reportedly reached agreements with Dominican shortstops Germán Hernández and Abrahan Pichardo, along with three Venezuelan catchers: Kenneth Melendez, Poly Ojeda, and Cesar Lopez.

Top Stories

Orioles Braced for Offseason Shock as Blue Jays Told to Target $18M Free Agent After Bo Bichette Miss

Rift Cracks Open in Blue Jays as Real Reason Behind Bo Bichette’s Exit Emerges, per Insider

Yankees Linked With Potential $4.2M Anthony Volpe Backup After Giants Fall Short Again

Giants’ $113M Star Clears Stance After Being Detained at Los Angeles Airport

At the same time, the Yankees are working to replace Rowlan, and the search is already underway. Reports suggest they’re exploring outside candidates like former Astros international director Oz Ocampo. They’re also looking internally at names such as assistant director of amateur scouting Mitch Colahan and director of baseball development Mario Garza.

The big question, though, is whether any of this will actually stop the bleeding. Because bringing in new names only matters if the Yankees can keep them. And right now, that might be the toughest challenge they’re facing.